My Card Is Full: The Evolution of the Farewell Ball Dance Cards

My Card Is Full: The Evolution of the Farewell Ball Dance Cards

A Research Paper Submitted for English 241

¶ 1 Leave a comment on paragraph 1 0 In a world of etiquette and formality, dance cards quickly became indispensable to young women in search of dancing partners. They were a manifestation of etiquette, used to keep social order and help their users follow protocol. Though dance cards are rarely used now, the study of these cards gives a lot of insight into the societies and groups that used them.

¶ 2 Leave a comment on paragraph 2 0 Lists of etiquette books remain from all different periods, instructing men and women how to act in each particular circumstance. Dancing claims a large portion of many of these books, as it was considered an elegant pastime and a way to judge one’s character. Dancing was a sign of culture and social class, as the upper class had formal dance training while they were young.

¶ 3 Leave a comment on paragraph 3 0 Scrapbook page showing in situ location of the U. S. Naval Academy June 2, 1921 Farewell Ball dance card with other cards, press clippings, trolley ticket stubs, and other memorabilia, from the scrapbook of Mary Lee Keith (Class of 1924). Goucher College Scrapbook Collection.

¶ 4 Leave a comment on paragraph 4 0 The dance card furthered one’s enjoyment of dancing, as it allowed young women to know who they would dance with; they never needed to worry about procuring a partner for the following dance, because he had already signed her card. A practice known as “dating ahead” became quite common as young women began filling out their dance cards in advance of the evening, to ensure that they would not be without a partner. Many women worried about not being asked to dance, as the most beautiful, best dancers were constantly engaged on the dance floor; the women without partners were often looked down on and pitied. Young women feared not having a partner for every dance, and having a dance card allowed them to make sure they would be busy dancing the entire night.

¶ 5 Leave a comment on paragraph 5 0 Dance cards also provided women with a way to gracefully decline a dance invitation. Johnson points out, “a lady must not decline the invitation of a gentleman to dance, unless she is previously engaged, or does not intend to dance any more during the evening” (79). Having a dance card allowed women to fill out their card with men who they would prefer to dance with, and it also allowed them to gracefully decline a dance by saying her card is full, even though this may not be true.

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